5.  The applicant was born in 1980 and lives in Krasnoyarsk.
6.  On 4 July 2003 the applicant was arrested on suspicion of extortion. However, on 6 July 2003 the Zheleznodorozhnyy District Court of Krasnoyarsk dismissed the prosecutor's request to place the applicant in detention and released the applicant under an undertaking not to leave his place of residence. It held, in particular, as follows:
“... [the prosecuting authorities] did not submit sufficient evidence justifying the [applicant's] remand in custody. He has never been subject to criminal prosecution, he has a job and a permanent place of residence; he played a passive role in the offences of which he was suspected and he intends to continue his studies.
In such circumstances, the applicant's attendance during investigation and trial can be ensured by a less strict preventive measure.”
7.  In December 2003 the case was referred to the Tsentralnyy District Court of Krasnoyarsk for trial.
8.  On 7 October 2004 unidentified persons set fire to three cars which were considered as evidence in the criminal case against the applicant and had been left in the charge of the victims S. and U. The victims told the trial court that they suspected the applicant and two other defendants of having set fire to the cars to put pressure on them. They thought that their lives were in danger.
9.  On 12 October 2004 the District Court remanded the applicant and his co-defendants Zh. and T. in custody. The court did not set the time-limit for their pre-trial detention. In particular, it stated as follows:
“... [the victims'] statement were joined to the case file, whereby they stated that... on 7 October 2004 ... three cars admitted as evidence in the criminal case and transferred to the care of the victims had been set on fire. The victims interpreted that circumstance as an attempt to put psychological pressure on them by the defendants. They expressed concern for their lives.
To date it is not known who burnt the cars. Nevertheless, the court does not have any evidence exculpating Zh., T. or [the applicant].
Having regard to the above circumstances, and in compliance with Article 255 of the [Russian Code of Criminal Procedure] the court
HEREBY DECIDES
...
To remand Zh. ..., T. ... and [the applicant] in custody.”
10.  On 16 November 2004 the Krasnoyarsk Regional Court upheld the decision of 12 October 2004 on appeal.
11.  On 15 December 2004 the police investigator suspended the investigation in respect of vehicle arson on the grounds that the persons responsible for burning them had not been indentified.
12.  On 14 February 2005 the District Court convicted the applicant along with his co-defendants on several counts of extortion and acquitted them on one count. The applicant was sentenced to three years' imprisonment.
13.  On 24 May 2005 the Regional Court quashed the judgment of 14 February 2005 and remitted the case to the trial court for examination by a different panel. The defendants' detention was extended until 24 August 2005. In particular, the court indicated as follows:
“The court considers that the preventive measure imposed on Zh., [the applicant] and T., notably [pre-trial detention], should remain unchanged. The court does not discern any grounds for its changing or lifting.”
14.  On 15 June 2005 the District Court returned the case to the prosecutor, at his request, to be joined to the cases against two other presumed accomplices, V. and P. As regards the defendants' detention, the court noted as follows:
“The court does not discern any grounds to change or lift the restrictive measure applied earlier and Zh., [the applicant] and T. should remain in custody.”
15.  On an unspecified date the case was again referred to the District Court.
16.  On 18 August 2005 the District Court extended the applicant's detention until 24 November 2005. It held, in particular, as follows:
“... [the applicant] is charged with two counts of particularly serious offences which might entail a lengthy custodial sentence. [He] did not plead guilty, which fact gives rise to the ground to believe that he might abscond and interfere with the administration of justice, if released.”
17.  On 27 October 2005 the District Court further extended the detention of three defendants, including the applicant, until 24 February 2006. The detention of P., the fourth defendant, was extended until 28 February 2006. The court held as follows:
“Zh., T., [the applicant] and P. are charged with particularly serious offences. Regard being had to the volume of the criminal case file, the large number of people to be questioned and the fact that the court will hear another criminal case between 1 and 30 November 2005, the court would be unable to examine the case before the expiration of the term of [the defendants'] detention. There are no grounds for changing or lifting the preventive measure.”
18.  On 16 February 2006 the District Court extended the applicant's and his co-defendants' detention until 24 May 2006, referring to the same grounds as in its decision of 27 October 2005.
19.  On 2 March 2006 the applicant and his co-defendants applied to the District Court for release. The applicant submitted that the suspicion that he had set fire to the cars was no longer valid. On the same date the District Court examined all the applications together and rejected them, having found that the decision to terminate the criminal proceedings concerning the burning of the cars had been made in the framework of different criminal proceedings, that that decision had not been a final one and that it could not in any way shed doubt on the reasonableness of the applicant's and his co-defendants' detention.
20.  The applicant did not appeal against the court orders of 18 August and 27 October 2005, 16 February and 2 March 2006.
21.  On 15 May 2006 the District Court found the applicant and his co-defendants guilty on several counts of extortion. The applicant was sentenced to eight years' imprisonment.
22.  On 10 October 2006 the Regional Court quashed the judgment of 15 May 2006 on account of procedural breaches and remitted the case to the trial court for fresh examination. The court further extended the defendants' detention until 10 January 2007, noting as follows:
“Having regard to the circumstances of the case, the gravity of the charges against Zh., T., [the applicant], P. and V., their character and the possibility of them interfering with the proceedings, the court considers it necessary to hold them in custody.
23.  On 22 December 2006 the District Court extended the applicant's and his co-defendants' detention until 10 April 2007. The court indicated as follows:
“Having heard the prosecutor, the defence counsel, and the defendants, the court considers that there are no grounds to lift or change the restrictive measure. The defendants are charged with particularly serious offences which entail a custodial sentence of up to fifteen years; the offences were committed in concert; the victims are known by the defendants. There is therefore reason to believe that the defendants might abscond, interfere with the proceedings and put pressure on victims and witnesses.”
24.  In the appeal against the detention order, the applicant and his counsel submitted that there were no grounds to keep him in detention. He had a permanent place of residence, lived with his parents and had no intention of interfering with the proceedings. They also pointed out that the applicant had positive references, had finished his university studies and had not breached the undertaking not to leave his place of residence. Lastly, they submitted that the District Court's reference to the gravity of the charges had no basis in law.
25.  In January 2007 the applicant was diagnosed with tuberculosis.
26.  On 23 January 2007 the Regional Court upheld the extension order, finding that it was lawful and properly justified.
27.  On 23 March 2007 the District Court extended the applicant's and his co-defendants' detention until 10 July 2007, on the same grounds as in its decision of 22 December 2006. The court further noted as follows:
“[The applicant's] reference to his poor state of health and his illness is not a sufficient ground for release, as the [remand prison where the applicant is detained] has a medical unit where [the applicant] can be provided with qualified medical care. [The applicant's] argument that the grounds underlying the decision to remand him in custody on 12 October 2004 no longer existed is unsubstantiated, as he failed to submit any documents confirming that the criminal proceedings have been discontinued on exculpating grounds.”
28.  In the grounds of appeal against that detention order, the applicant's counsel submitted that the grounds for placing him in detention had been suppositional, the applicant's guilt had not been established, the case had been under examination for a long time and the applicant's health had seriously deteriorated. He had contracted tuberculosis in detention and was not receiving appropriate medical treatment.
29.  On 29 May 2007 the Regional Court upheld that extension order, noting as follows:
“... [the applicant] was sentenced to a lengthy term of imprisonment. However, his conviction was quashed on account of procedural breaches, which did not change the serious character of the charges against him... Taking into account that the examination of the criminal case was not yet completed, the [District Court] ... had the right to extend the [applicant's] detention and did so on a lawful basis. [The applicant], the doctor states, is receiving adequate medical care.”
30.  On 6 July 2007 the District Court extended the applicant's and his co-defendants' detention until 10 October 2007, referring to the same grounds as in its decision of 23 March 2007. The applicant was not present at the hearing. Since 2 July 2007 he had been undergoing in-patient treatment for tuberculosis. He was represented by counsel. As regards the applicant's situation, the court indicated as follows:
“... the deterioration of the applicant's state of health does not justify changing the preventive measure. [The applicant] is receiving appropriate medical treatment in the [remand prison]. The [applicant's] character was taken into account by the court which remanded him in custody and does not justify changing the preventive measure either. Nor does the reference ... to the lengthy period of detention pending trial justify changing the preventive measure. The court may, as a matter of [law], extend detention, regard being had to the complexity of the case. The present case is a complex one. It is voluminous; it concerns several defendants; some difficulties arose when calling witnesses to the hearings; and the case is being examined by a panel of judges.”
31.  On 7 August 2007 the Regional Court upheld the extension order, finding that it was sufficiently motivated and lawful.
32.  On 2 August 2007 the District Court, at the prosecutor's request, suspended the criminal proceedings against the applicant on the ground that the applicant was undergoing intensive treatment for tuberculosis and that his ill-health prevented him from participating in the examination of the case. By the same decision the District Court held that the applicant was to remain in detention. The examination of the criminal charges against the applicant's co-defendants continued and, by a final decision of 15 November 2007, they were convicted.
33.  On 10 October 2007 and 9 January 2008 the District Court extended the applicant's detention until 10 January and 10 April 2008 respectively, referring to the same grounds as in its previous decisions. On 30 October 2007 the Regional Court upheld the extension order of 10 October 2007 on appeal, finding it lawful, sufficiently reasoned and justified.
34.  On 30 January 2008 the District Court found the applicant guilty as charged and sentenced him to five years and ten months' imprisonment. On 13 May 2008 the Regional Court upheld the applicant's conviction on appeal.